Lions' Pride
by ShinyKyu
Summary: AU. Two-shot. Unsealed Flames. In which a young Tsuna is saved and raised by a family of lions after his assumed death in an "accident." Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

It was _supposed_ to be a happy day.

The small Sawada family of three was _supposed_ to enjoy a vacation trip to Africa and return home to Japan together.

But that "return together" could never occur. The couple was forever short one fluffy-haired brunette little boy.

* * *

 _The previous day..._

The family of three had been vacationing in Africa for the past week. In a couple more days, their vacation would end, and they'd leave for their home in Namimori. Today, they planned to drive up to the top of a mountain to see the view together from the cliff.

No one had noticed the slightest bit of movement that trailed them from within the shadows.

Iemitsu was driving the open-hooded car they had rented for the trip. Nana occupied the front seat next to him, while the young 4-year-old Tsuna sat in the back. All three enjoyed the feeling of the wind rushing past them, Tsuna especially.

About halfway up the mountain, they had reached a portion of the rocky mountain side that was particularly weak and prone to rock slides. They had been warned by the locals about this, but they were also told that, unless it was raining or had rained, the chances of a rockslide were unlikely at best. And even if a rockslide occurred, they were usually quite minor, and not very damaging. Since there had been no rain for the past week and the weather would continue to be sunny for the next several days, the probability of being hit by a dangerous rockslide while they were driving up the mountain path was less than 0.1%.

A few hours later, the couple would wish with all their being that they hadn't driven up that mountain.

Under normal circumstances, the rockslide would have never occurred. It had to have been triggered by a third party.

 _An enemy famiglia._

A famiglia that absolutely despised the Vongola.

They _knew_ that Iemitsu, the head of Vongola's CEDEF, and his family, which included his son of direct Vongola lineage, were staying in Africa for their vacation. Iemitsu's guard would be down, and since he was the only member of his family that could possibly defend against mafioso attacks, the whole family was _vulnerable_. Though their main target was the CEDEF leader, if they managed to kill him _and_ his family, the young boy in particular, they'd kill two birds with one stone.

Using a rockslide to kill them in an "accident" was a simple, yet efficient plan. All that was necessary was to plant a device with the ability to emit strong vibrations within the area of unstable rock and wait to activate it when the family drove up. If the boulders didn't immediately crush them, they were likely to push the car over the edge of the path and off the mountain, leading to a steep drop. If they managed to survive the fall, they would soon be greeted by the jaws and teeth of lions that had claimed the area they fell to as part of their territory.

It would be impossible for Iemitsu to fend off several lions while keeping his family safe at the same time. Even more impossibly so if he tried to fight the beasts without using his Flames and bringing his unaware wife and son into the mafia world in the process.

So, as the car reached _just_ the right point, the hidden device was activated. Few pebbles trickled down first, followed by several more larger rocks. Then came a waterfall of loose boulders and dirt. Within seconds, the original wall of rock had collapsed, and attacked the unsuspecting vehicle.

Large pieces of debris pelted the car from above, and they instantly regretted renting an open-hooded car. The blond man covered and protected Nana, who was right next to him, without a second thought. However, he wasn't able to protect the little boy in the back, who was too far away from him.

Luckily for Tsuna, few stones actually hit his small figure. Instead, a particularly sharp rock shard that seemed to have broken off from another boulder in the rockslide cut his seatbelt. As the boulders from the side of the car tipped the vehicle over and pushed it ever so dangerously close to the edge, Tsuna fell over it, and down to the lions' territory.

He screamed for his parents' help as he descended, and his parents watched in horror, unable to even move.

* * *

 **A/N: How is it? This is my very first fanfiction attempt. I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review on your way out. Helpful criticism is very much appreciated, but please be respectful! Part 2 will be finished and uploaded soon. I promise!**

 **For those of you who may want to know, any KHR-related stories I write will be posted in the Reborn! Amino under the same username and profile pic BEFORE I upload them here.**

 _Edited: 10/7/2018_

 _Edited: 12/25/2018_


	2. Chapter 2

As little Tsuna fell, screaming, his Dying Will flared to life.

 _'I don't want to die! I want to live!'_

His body started glowing with an orange light, his Flames almost itching under his skin. Soon enough, a little orange ember sparked and grew on his forehead.

Animals had always been particularly sensitive to Flames, as they too could be affected by their different properties the same way humans could. As such, they could even sense weak Flames.

The nearby lions that had claimed the area as their territory could easily sense the strong, newly awakened Sky. They were drawn to it, and their instincts nearly screamed at them to protect it.

A male and female sprinted in the direction of the little Sky.

When they reached the spot the boy would fall to, the brunette could be seen directly above them, still descending through the air. He was battered and bruised by the few tree branches that broke his fall. His screaming had long since ceased, consciousness slowly fading, and alongside it the Sky ember, as he finally landed on the furry mane of the male lion.

The female sniffed the small figure, then gently nudged it with her nose, to see if it would wake up.

After repeatedly prodding him with no results, she lifted the brunette up by the back of his shirt with her teeth, off of the male's mane, taking care not to hurt him. The lion pair walked back toward their den, the female carrying Tsuna the whole way.

As the three, including Tsuna, neared the den, other members of the pride could be seen walking up to them, curious of the new creature being brought in. They already knew it was human, as only humans could have Dying Will Flames, but to find that one that was so young and small, yet such a strong, active Sky was surprising. An incredibly rare find.

What on Earth was such a child doing in their territory?

Regardless, the child had to be taken care of. He was injured, alone, and vulnerable, after all. The lioness that carried him lied down, curled up slightly, and lay Tsuna down against her own body. The careful action seemingly made all of the lions' previously screaming instincts almost purr in satisfaction.

Then, one of the same lioness' youngest cubs -just a month old- walked up to the still sleeping figure and sniffed, curious. He kept sniffing the Sky from all different angles for a minute, and eventually started pawing at him. It didn't take very long for the little brunette to stir.

Tsuna made a face, his eyes squinting as he slowly cracked them open. The first thing he saw was the lion cub's blurry face.

"...Natsu?" He briefly wondered why his favorite stuffed lion was here. Hadn't he left it back at the hotel?

His vision slowly cleared up as his eyes opened fully. He wasn't looking at a stuffed toy. No, he was looking at a _real_ lion. Immediately, he looked around him, saw lions everywhere, and realized he had even been sleeping right against one. Memories of the rockslide and his fall flooded back to him.

As if sensing his panic, the lioness he had been sleeping on bent her neck downward toward his face and gently nuzzled him, then started licking his face and hair. The little boy had flinched at first, thinking that he would be eaten, but something in the back of his head told him that he was perfectly safe.

The cub followed his mother's example, nuzzling into Tsuna's whole body, almost like a tackle-hug. The brunette quickly fell onto his back, laughing.

"Stop it, that tickles!" he said while still giggling.

The sound alerted the rest of the pride that he was now awake. Most of them stayed where they were and continued doing whatever it was they were doing before, while a few, including the male lion that had caught the Sky in his mane, turned their heads and started walking toward the child to properly greet him.

They all seemed to give him the same gentle treatment as the lioness and her cub did. The full-grown male even let the boy give him a hug and feel his thick mane of fur. By the end of it, Tsuna's clothes were covered in lion fur, and his face and hair wet from the licking. He already felt like a part of their family. Their pride.

Soon enough, he grew closer to them than he felt he had grown to anyone else, even his real parents. Quickly, "their" family and "their" pride became _his_ family and _his_ pride.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this took so long to come out! *dodges flying chairs and fruit* This is technically the end, but I plan on writing a little sequel that will be completely optional to read that will likely be either another one-shot or two-shot. Since this chapter took a while to complete, I don't know when the sequel will be up, but it should definitely be before the end of the year at the latest. The guilt of not uploading it quickly enough for you guys would probably kill me before then. I'll update this and tell you if plans change.**

 **NOTICE: The sequel is now up! It's titled Lions' Heir and will most likely be a three-shot.**

 _Uploaded: 10/8/2018_

 _Edited: 12/25/2018_


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